It is alleged that the companies “did unlawfully beat an animal, to wit: chickens, being loaded or unloaded in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to it.”

Industry usually dismisses cruelty uncovered in investigations as being the result of a few bad apples. Low-level workers are thrown under the bus. In this case, it's rightly the companies being held to account for creating and permitting a climate in which cruelty flourishes.

The specific sections of the Health of Animal Regulations violated are 139(1) “No person shall beat an animal being loaded or unloaded in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to it,” and 139(2) “No person shall load or unload, or cause to be loaded or unloaded, an animal in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to it.

The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS), which expressed concern in May of this year how long it was taking for charges to laid, issued a statement Thursday.

“We’re pleased that charges have finally been laid in this case, which involves allegations of some of the worst animal abuse we’ve seen,” said VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker. “Those responsible should be held to account and punished to the full extent of the law.”

Lawyer and director of Farmed Animal Advocacy, Tweeted out that it was “pretty major” that companies were being charged rather than just low-level farmworkers as is often the case.

“Industry usually dismisses cruelty uncovered in investigations as being the result of a few bad apples. Low-level workers are thrown under the bus. In this case, it’s rightly the companies being held to account for creating and permitting a climate in which cruelty flourishes.”